We’ve all been there before. Tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling doing everything you can to get back to sleep. And before you know it, it’s 3 am, and your alarm is going off in 3 hours.
Sleepless nights can be really common when you’re stressed, sick, not eating the right foods, watching TV before bed, and other activities that interfere with sleep.
But the dicey thing here is that when you’re not sleeping enough (or getting enough good quality sleep), your immune system absorbs a massive punch.
You’re more likely to gain weight, more likely to be stressed, have mental health issues, poor digestion, and of course, are more susceptible to getting sick.
So, if you’re sick and tired of struggling with sleep issues and are concerned that you’re going to catch the next cold that goes around, you’ll want to read this.
We’re breaking down the link between sleep and the immune system and giving you some practical tips to improve your sleep habits to strengthen your immune defenses.
Why Sleep Is Important
We all know how it feels to be deprived of sleep for a few nights in a row… brain fog, constantly yawning, can’t focus, you’re irritable, always hungry. That’s the cognitive impacts going on that are obvious to you when you’re not sleeping enough.
But the subtle changes that are going on inside your body are a whole different story that doesn’t become noticeable until something happens.
Proper sleep helps to 1:
- Enhance cognitive function
- Support attention, focus, and memory
- Regulate mood and mental health
- Support proper digestion
- Weight management
- Cardiovascular health
- Detoxification
- Hormone balance
The Link Between Sleep And Immune Function
The relationship between sleep and immune function is bidirectional, meaning that they both affect each other.
Poor sleep can lead to a weakened immune system by affecting both arms of the immune responses (adaptive and innate), while activation of the immune system can alter sleep patterns 2.
So, the question is: Can lack of sleep make you sick?
The answer is a resounding yes. Poor quality sleep and sleep deprivation can impair every level of your immune system and can leave you susceptible to a lot more than falling asleep at your desk.
The most significant impact that sleep deprivation has on your immune system is with a type of cells called T cells, which are part of your adaptive immune response.
The stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline that are released with poor sleep (sleep deprivation is a serious form of stress for the body) and pro-inflammatory molecules called prostaglandins can inhibit the stickiness of adhesion molecules called integrins 3.
But because the levels of the molecules (adrenaline, noradrenaline, and prostaglandins) are low during sleep, the stickiness of integrins is stronger. And this stickiness is critical for T cells to do their job-killing pathogens; they require stickiness for direct contact with pathogenic cells.
And studies consistently find that people who sleep more (and better) have T cells that present with higher levels of integrin activation than in people who are sleep deprived, which suggests that adequate sleep plays a vital role in supporting T cell function 4.
Research also suggests that sleep is incredibly important for the formation of immunological memory 5.
This process is linked to a particular stage of slow-wave sleep and the pro-inflammatory endocrine milieu that accompanies it, represented by increased circulating growth hormone and prolactin, and low cortisol and catecholamine concentrations. These hormonal changes support the initial steps of generating the adaptive immune response in lymph nodes.
So, when you’re not getting enough sleep, not only is your immunological memory and your adaptive and innate immune defenses impaired, but studies find that prolonged sleep deficiency can also lead to chronic, systemic low-grade inflammation, which is the foundation for several inflammatory-based conditions like diabetes, atherosclerosis, autoimmunity, and neurodegeneration 2.
So, to put that into a quick summary, here’s why sleep is critical to immune function:
- Reduces inflammation
- Supports T cell function
- Increases production of cytokines
- Enhances adaptive immune defenses
- Supports formation of immunological memory
How Much Sleep Is Enough?
The amount of sleep needed for your body to operate at peak performance isn’t going to be the same as your friend, mother, or cousin.
We’re all biochemically unique, which means some of us may need more sleep, while others need less. And then factor in things like lifestyle habits, stress, age, health status, and the like, and sleep duration becomes even more complicated.
It’s not a simplistic equation across the board.
However, as a general rule of thumb, aiming for the 7–9-hour mark of good quality sleep is the standard, which means cycling through all sleep cycles and waking up feeling rested and rejuvenated 6.
Trouble getting that? Here are some of our best tips for getting the rest you deserve.
Tips For Getting A Better Sleep And Supporting Your Immune System
1. Cut the electronics
Blue light emitted from anything with a screen is a huge disruption to the production of melatonin—the hormone that controls your circadian rhythm 7.
Adequate levels of melatonin are essential for inducing sleep, but when you’re constantly being bombarded with blue light, it signals to your body to release bursts of cortisol—the hormone that triggers arousal.
To keep your melatonin levels high and avoid sleep disruptions, curb electronic use 2-3 hours before bed to allow levels to naturally rise. That means limiting the use of smartphones, tablets, TVs, laptops, e-readers, and anything else with a screen. If you must use it, install light-altering software or invest in a pair of glasses that blocks blue rays.
2. Sleep in complete darkness
Just like electronics impede on melatonin secretion, so do external light sources. Whether it’s from other rooms, street lamps, or even overhead lights, they all signal to your body that it’s daytime and trigger the release of cortisol.
Invest in a pair of blackout blinds or curtains, swap out your bulbs for red ones that emit an orange hue, and trade your bedside lamp for a salt lamp that also makes your room much cozier and comforting—both of which are conducive to sleep.
3. Cool down the room
Body temperature naturally drops at night, and we want to facilitate that by cooling down the bedroom. Studies find that this rapid decline in core body temperature at night increases the likelihood of sleep and may facilitate deeper, more rejuvenating sleep stages 8.
4. Avoid caffeine after 2 pm
We all knock back a couple of cups of coffee during the day to keep us awake, but when it comes afternoon time, and you’re looking to get a sound sleep in the evening, caffeine is going to work against you.
Caffeine molecules closely resemble the molecule adenosine, which binds to its receptors in the brain to induce drowsiness. But when caffeine is blocking the adenosine receipts, adenosine can’t build, and you don’t get sleepy.
That’s all fine for the day, but because caffeine metabolism differs between people and can take anywhere from 1 to 9 hours to be fully metabolized, it could mean that your 4 pm coffee is still in your system at midnight.
5. Supplement wisely
There’s no denying that giving your body a bit of extra support for sleep is one of the most effective ways to keep your body and immune system functioning at its peak, and there are three supplements you can combine to create the perfect immune-boosting, sleep-inducing super stack:
- Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi — The cleanest, safest, and most effective multivitamin supplement on the market, providing 17+ essential vitamins and minerals needed for optimal physical and mental performance. NutriGenesis Multi helps restore depleted nutrient levels, support balanced hormones, and provides foundational nutritional support for healthy body-wide biological performance day in and day out.
- PL-Immune — The most dynamic immune performance supplement on the market, delivering broad-range immune support for both your adaptive and innate immune defenses. PL-Immune combines 6 of the most effective nutrients that activate and enhance every aspect of your immune system.
- Performance Lab Sleep — An ultramodern sleep aid that helps you wake in the morning ready to perform. It passes on the synthetic high-dose melatonin and instead supplies natural low-dose melatonin from CherryPURE® Montmorency Tart Cherry. It also offers additional joint- and muscle-soothing antioxidants to promote deep sleep. Sleep synergizes with CherryPURE®, encouraging natural melatonin + serotonin for drowsiness, and adds in three forms of magnesium to promote sleep-supportive muscle relaxation.
There are several key nutrients required for supporting proper immune function, and if you’re not supplying your body with those daily, your immunity will be partially compromised.
Stack intelligently, and you’ll see the results you want—in every aspect of your life.
Final Thoughts
We all know that sleep is important for keeping our memory sharp and our head in the game, but sleep is needed for a lot more than just brain function.
The immune system relies on adequate quality rest every night to do its job properly, and if you’re not practicing proper sleep hygiene, your body is going to put you in bed one way or another.
Take it from us when we tell you that if you’re consistent with good sleep habits and supplementing to support optimal performance, your immune system will give you a massive thank you.
References
- AR Eugene, J Masiak. The Neuroprotective Aspects of Sleep. MEDtube Sci. 2015;3(1):35-40.
- L Besedovsky, T Lange, M The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease. Physiol Rev. 2019;99(3):1325-1380.
- S Dimitrov, T Lange, C Gouttefangeas, et al. Gαs-coupled receptor signaling and sleep regulate integrin activation of human antigen-specific T cells.J Exp Med. 2019;216(3):517-526.
- T Bollinger, A Bollinger, L Skrum, S Dimitrov, T Lange, W Solbach. Sleep-dependent activity of T cells and regulatory T cells.Clin Exp Immunol. 2009;155(2):231-238.
- L Besedovsky, T Lange, J Born. Sleep and immune function.Pflugers Arch. 2012;463(1):121-137.
- M Hirshkowitz, K Whiton, SM Albert, et al. National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health. 2015;1(1):40-43.
- SW Lockley, GC Brainard, CA Czeisler. High sensitivity of the human circadian melatonin rhythm to resetting by short wavelength light.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003;88(9):4502-4505.
- PJ Murphy, SS Nighttime drop in body temperature: a physiological trigger for sleep onset?Sleep. 1997;20(7):505-511.
